Kotiluontoon / home to nature
Funding
Western Finland Public Benefit Housing Foundation (70 000€)
2023
Key Researchers
Katja Maununaho, Joona Lukka, Raul Castano de la Rosa, Sofie Pelsmakers & Kristina Tiainen, Terhi Lampio and Outi Jolanki in Gerontology (Social Sciences).
UN SDGs
This study examines aging residents' experiences (older adults 65+) of the surrounding urban nature, the meaning of these experiences for their perceived well-being and the connections leading from the apartment to the urban nature with a multidisciplinary research group (architecture and gerontology).
Home is a multidimensional place that is formed by the interaction of many spatial, functional, temporal and social factors. But the home is not limited to the walls of the apartment, and extends into the home neighborhood, i.e. the nearby living environment.
Studies have shown that the connections to urban nature that open up from the home and its immediate surroundings are an important factor that increases the comfort and well-being of the home. What nature means to the residents, what kind of nature experiences are desired, and under what conditions the nearby nature can be reached, varies from person to person and over time as part of a person's life course. Especially as the resident ages, the combined effect of the individual’s circumstances, the features of the apartment and residential building, and the neighborhood environment on the accessibility and use of nature can vary significantly.
This study examines aging residents' experiences (older adults 65+) of the surrounding urban nature, the meaning of these experiences for their perceived well-being and the connections leading from the apartment to the urban nature, and in addition, the study examines related solutions from the grassroots level with a multidisciplinary research group between architecture and gerontology.